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Tuesday, 25 September 2018

Curved Space to Corsair had a target date of November 1, which we've now postponed to January.

Editing is going well, but won't be completed in time to get the book properly checked for November 1st. Any time after that is too busy with book launches leading up to Christmas. So we'll leave it to January and hopefully give it enough space for people to find it.

Jemima is currently rewriting the start (where have we heard that before?) and making a few other tweaks as per the feedback from her editor.

Then it goes back to the editor for a further review. We are very happy with the diligence of our new editor!

You can get The Perihelix from Amazon, and we're working on a new paperback edition to come out with Corsair's paperback.

Saturday, 30 June 2018

Our publisher/distributor Smashwords has its annual Summer/Winter sale throughout July.

It's summer in the northern hemisphere, and winter in the southern. To help you find good books to endure the season from your beach or armchair, we're offering the following books free or at half price:

Thursday, 19 April 2018

The Perihelix (second edition) has been available on Amazon.com and Smashwords for a few weeks now.
It is now live on all online stores, including iTunes, B&N and Kobo.
In the two years since we took it off sale after lukewarm reviews, Jemima has revised the beginning several times, taken it to a new editor, lost that editor in tragic circumstances, and finally delivered the changes she suggested.
If Jemima hadn’t already written the second book Curved Space to Corsair, she might have given up. Thank you to all those who sent her messages of support and encouragement.

If you downloaded the old version, you should be able to download the second edition from your buying site free of charge. Otherwise it’s now on sale for $2.99 - see sidebar for special offer.
If you haven’t read it yet, it would be really kind of you to push it to the top of your list and review the new edition on your blog, Goodreads, Amazon or your buying site. Thank you.

The Princelings of the North is the eighth in The Princelings of the East series. Princelings Dylan and Dougall, who live in the far northwest of an island off the northwest coast of the Realms, rescue an exiled prince, and battle against the odds to restore him to his birthright.

Irrepressible Dylan and steady Dougall are inseparable denizens of the tiny castle of Haunn, so far away from the rest of civilisation that it’s almost off the map. And maps are one of the key elements of this intricate adventure. Dylan finds a treasure map inside a bottle washed up on the shore – and he reckons he knows where X is. Instead of treasure, he finds the exiled Prince Kevin of Castle Deeping, antagonist in the Talent Seekers, bit-player in Bravo Victor, and mystery prince in Willoughby the Narrator. Kevin has had time to realise what a fool he’s been, and now wants vengeance and his castle back, which is just the sort of adventurous challenge that Dylan craves.

Lovers of the series will devour this latest adventure, but newcomers may find it best to start with the box set of books 1-3 or book 5; book 7 links to Kevin’s disappearance. This is a mystery adventure in a world not quite like ours, suitable for age 10 and upwards. The series is set to conclude with book 10.

Excerpt

“It’s a map, look! A treasure map!”

Dougall looked at the scrap of paper his brother Dylan had smoothed out on their bed.

“How do you know it’s a map?”

Dylan sighed, and pointed out the lines. “There’s the outline of the island, and the rocky inlet where the boats go in, and the wiggly lines are where the creek goes into the marshes. And there’s an X for where the treasure is buried!” he finished, leaping off the bed. “Oh, why can’t we go now? It might rain tomorrow!”

“But where did you get it?” Dougall was not one to act without all the facts.

“It got washed into the tide pool down near the Ensay Burn. I fished it out. It was in a bottle. I saw it glinting green and bobbing about. I thought it had a stick inside it, but it broke when I dropped it on the way back and I found the paper!”

“But why do you think it’s a treasure map?” Dougall had not yet caught his brother’s enthusiasm.

“It’s got an X on it, look!”

“It could mean anything, X.”

“Like what?”

Dougall thought for a bit. He wasn’t familiar with maps, except of the night sky, since he was one of the star-watching team at the castle. He didn’t go out of the castle much, except onto the crags above to check the solar cells or the turbine flow. It was Dylan who went all over the island, running messages. He’d been most places.

“Have you been to this place?” he asked Dylan, wondering whether he really did know what he was talking about after all.

“Umm, not exactly. It’s pretty much on the way to Tober Hold, but I usually go a bit further up the glen, and keep to the high ground. This bit’s all wet.” He pointed to the network of lines he’d described as the creek.

“And there’s nothing there that could be marked as a cross?”

Dylan thought for a bit. Then he looked at the map again and then at his feet. “There’s ruin on a rock. By the crossroads,” he mumbled.

Dougall looked closer at the map. “Well, nobody’s marked the roads going into and out of the cross. You might still be right. Is it the right place for the crossroads?”

It was Dylan’s turn to study the map closely. “Yes,” he concluded. He stared at it for a moment. “Why would anyone…”

“Mark a cross on a map and not the roads leading up to it?” finished Dougall, his eyes sparkling. “How long will it take us to get there?”

Buying Links

Raising money for the Ulva Buyout Appeal #UlvaBuyout

The little island of Ulva is just to the south of the area where Jemima has placed Castle Haunn, Dylan and Dougall’s home on the Isle of Mull. The community of North West Mull have the opportunity to buy the island from the current landowner, and use it as a sustainable resource, securing their own futures. Jemima invites everyone to join in her part of the fundraising effort on her JustGiving page, where you can get more details. Anyone donating on her page will get a copy of a new novella written especially for the appeal, Dylan and the Lights of Ulva, with Jemima’s thanks.

Please help to promote this massive appeal for the small number (in the tens rather than the hundreds) of islanders.

About the Author

Jemima wrote her first book when she was eight years old. She was heavily into world-building, drawing maps, building railway timetables, and dreaming of being a champion show-jumper, until schoolwork got in the way. Then she went down the science path, writing research papers, manuals and reports, as well as editing the newsletters for her sports clubs. Forty years on she started writing stories about her guinea pigs and their adventures in a fantasy world where everything ran on strawberry juice. Eventually the Princelings of the East took shape, originally intended as a trilogy, but the characters just wouldn’t lie down. The planned ending will now be with book ten.

Meanwhile, Jemima continues to enjoy the company of new guinea pigs in her home in Norfolk, UK. You can enjoy their blog ‘George’s Guinea Pig World‘.

Monday, 8 January 2018

To support the launch of book 8 in the Princelings of the East series on January 30th, I'm promoting Goodreads Giveaways for each of the earlier books in the series - plus the newbie!
With apologies to my US friends, these are open worldwide with the exception of the USA, due to the change in the Goodreads Giveaway policy.

The Talent Seekers

Humphrey is a gentle soul, making his way westward and hoping to find safety and friendship in a world full of vagabonds, vigilantes and other things beginning with v. Fortunately he's just the sort of person the Talent Seekers are looking for. Giveaway at https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/272147-the-talent-seekers (ends 24th Feb)

Bravo Victor

Victor is sent on a mission with secret agent Sundance, to stop someone illegally importing cola to the Realms - and to find George, who has disappeared after going to a flying fest. Smuggling, flying, high finance and lots of drama! Giveaway at https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/272148-bravo-victor (ends Feb 28th)

Willoughby the Narrator

Willoughby tells his own story of his surprising exile in the Realms, taking us on a sweeping journey over the last seven years of the saga. He also tells his delightful stories, which is how he makes his living - when he's not performing as an undercover spy for the more honourable kings and princes, like Fred. Giveaway at https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/272152-willoughby-the-narrator (ends 28th Feb)

Tuesday, 26 December 2017

Princelings of the East Series

All the Princelings books have been on offer since November, to help you catch up before the launch of the Princelings of the North (book 8) on 30 January.
This week you can get those HALF PRICE - so a reduction on the reduced price!!

Check the Princelings of the East series books 1 to 7 on Smashwords here. The discounted price of $2.99 will be reduced to just $1.50 when you use the coupon code shown on the buying page. Just click, enter the coupon code, and buy. So simple. And download the version of your choice - epub kindle, whatever. Actually I think you get them both once you've bought it once.

The Box Set of books 1 - 3 is not in the sale, but it's reduced to $2.99 anyway.

White Water Landings

White Water Landings, Geoffrey Pett's memoirs of his time in Africa in the 1930s with Imperial Airways, is also half price this week - at $2.50. Click here to go to the buying page.

BookElves Anthologies

The BookElves Anthologies have been FREE since mid-autumn. Just a heads up that they will be going back to 99c at some time in the near future. Volume 1... and Volume 2.

The Viridian System Series

The Viridian System Sampler is also available totally FREE. That also may change in the new year. Watch out for information on the re-release of The Perihelix, and the second book Curved Space to Corsair.

Friday, 8 December 2017

After October's editing frenzy, there seems to be a veritable blizzard of activity surrounding Jemima's work on the internet at present.

On The Story Reading Ape, Jemima completes a full twelve-month of posts this Sunday. Topics have ranged from reading challenges to naming characters, from wish-lists to a tribute to Fred and George. We would like to thank Chris Graham for all his work finding great posts to alert us all to, and for giving guest authors so many opportunities to blog.

Over on the Kindle Book Review, theres an extravaganza of 'meet and greet' as they invite you to follow authors on their Amazon pages, and get entries in a Giveaway to win one of two Kindle Fires, plus loads of reader goodies.

Tuesday, 3 October 2017

Jemima Pett is currently in an editing frenzy that is likely to keep her fully occupied to the end of the year.

The Princelings of the North

The Princelings of the North is back from the external editor. We'd like to thank Dawn Cavalieri immensely for all her hard work on this. Jemima is working on the changes needed, and may pass it to her beta readers for a final check before it is released.

The target date is 30th January 2018; the ebook is already available for pre-order at Kobo, B&N and on the Apple ibookstore. When the final draft is ready for the beta readers it will also be submitted for Kindle pre-order at Amazon.

If you are interested in doing an early review and/or a book launch post on your blog, please leave a comment below.

The Viridian Series books 1 and 2

After the sad death of Kate Jackson, who gave us so much free advice on re-editing the second edition of book 1, we are very grateful to our new editor who stepped in and gave it a thorough assessment.

Once the Princelings has been put to bed, Jemima will tackle the re-edit of The Perihelix.

Jemima is also in the middle of the first edit (third draft) of Curved Space to Corsair. She may complete that, go back to the Perihelix, and then do some more revisions, to make sure changes in the first book are reflected in the second.

At present our best estimate is a spring release for The Perihelix 2nd edition, followed by Curved Space to Corsair next autumn.

Tuesday, 19 September 2017

You may be interested in Jemima's September guest post on the Story Reading Ape's blog. She discusses the dilemma for new authors who see Goodreads as an opportunity to push their books - but how do they do that without being banned for spamming people?

According to Goodreads, the site has over 55 million members worldwide. That’s a lot of readers. It doesn’t take much to understand why nearly every self-published person comes to the conclusion that they should be promoting their books on the site.

It’s a sensitive issue, and one that has changed a little since the original Goodreads was sold to Amazon. I notice more ways that Amazon and Goodreads use each others’ opportunities. Amazon now enables you to do giveaways… Goodreads has been doing that since it started. Goodreads now has an extensive list of marketing opportunities that it promotes to authors, which look like things in the Amazon school of marketing to me, but are nevertheless valid and valuable opportunities – so take them.